Early human impacts on vegetation on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during the middle to late Holocene

doi:10.1177/0309133317703035

	Early human impacts on vegetation on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during the middle to late Holocene
	Huang, Xiao-zhong 1; Liu, Si-si 1; Dong, Guang-hui 1; Qiang, Ming-rui 1; Bai, Zhi-juan 1; Zhao, Yan 2; Chen, Fa-hu 1
刊名	PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
	2017-06-01
卷号	41 期号:3 页码:286-301
关键词	Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Stellera pollen human impact on vegetation Neolithic grazing activity Anthropocene
ISSN号	0309-1333
DOI	10.1177/0309133317703035
通讯作者	Huang, Xiao-zhong(xzhuang@lzu.edu.cn)
英文摘要	The ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are regarded as being primarily regulated by climate because of the harsh environment of the region and the resulting sparse human population. Recent studies have revealed that Neolithic farmers and nomads extensively settled in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau from 5.2 ka (ka = cal ka BP); however, it is unclear how and to what extent human activity has affected its vegetation. Here we combine the results of the pollen analysis of a sediment core from Genggahai Lake, a shallow lake in Gonghe Basin on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with archaeological evidence and use them to assess the extent and nature of human impacts on the regional vegetation during the middle and late Holocene. The pollen record indicates that Stellera, an indicator of the extent of grazing-induced grassland degradation, first appeared at 4.7 ka, expanded during 3.6-3.0 ka, and finally increased significantly after 1.6 ka. In support of this finding, archaeological data indicate that the agro-pastoral Majiayao people arrived at approximate to 5 ka and groups of Kayue people, who practiced pastoralism, intensively colonized the Gonghe Basin and nearby Qinghai Lake basin during 3.6-3.0 ka. After approximate to 1.6 ka, from the Tang Dynasty onwards, human settlement and grazing activity intensified on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and this is in accord with the observed high percentages of Stellera in the pollen record. Based on comparison with other records, we conclude that the sediments of Genggahai Lake provide a record of anthropogenic impacts on vegetation, and that human activity may have contributed to regional forest decline during the middle Holocene, and to grassland degradation in the late Holocene. Grassland degradation caused by human activity may be an indicator of the start of the Anthropocene and potentially may have contributed to global climate change via increased dust emission to the atmosphere.
资助项目	National Natural Science Foundation of China[41171168] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[41271219] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[41620104007]
WOS关键词	BASIN WESTERN TIBET ; CLIMATE-CHANGE ; SOUTHERN TIBET ; ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGES ; POLLEN RECORD ; SICHUAN PROVINCE ; CENTRAL CHINA ; LAKE ; MOUNTAINS ; HISTORY
WOS研究方向	Physical Geography ; Geology
语种	英语
出版者	SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
WOS记录号	WOS:000403608600003
资助机构	National Natural Science Foundation of China
内容类型	期刊论文
源URL	[http://ir.igsnrr.ac.cn/handle/311030/63157]
专题	中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所
通讯作者	Huang, Xiao-zhong
作者单位	1.Lanzhou Univ, Coll Earth & Environm Sci, Key Lab Western Chinas Environm Syst, Minist Educ, Lanzhou, Gansu, Peoples R China 2.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Geog Sci & Nat Resources Res, Beijing, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Huang, Xiao-zhong,Liu, Si-si,Dong, Guang-hui,et al. Early human impacts on vegetation on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during the middle to late Holocene[J]. PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY,2017,41(3):286-301.
APA	Huang, Xiao-zhong.,Liu, Si-si.,Dong, Guang-hui.,Qiang, Ming-rui.,Bai, Zhi-juan.,...&Chen, Fa-hu.(2017).Early human impacts on vegetation on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during the middle to late Holocene.PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY,41(3),286-301.
MLA	Huang, Xiao-zhong,et al."Early human impacts on vegetation on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during the middle to late Holocene".PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 41.3(2017):286-301.